Stepping Through the Numbers

I slipped past the front porch gate and followed the quiet sidewalk around the corner to the neighborhood park. Across the dark asphalt, someone had drawn a broad hopscotch grid using thick strokes of blue chalk, each square numbered with deliberate care. I paused at the baseline to measure the distances before stepping firmly into box one. Hopping steadily forward into the double squares of four and five, I held both arms out to steady my weight against the morning breeze. Reaching the curved arch at the very top was deeply satisfying, especially with a faint trace of blue chalk powder marking the edge of my left shoe.